The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-02-02
OUR FARMERS CLUBS.
What our Farmers are Doing and How
the Work of Organizing is Progressing.

TRINITY CLUB.
,Sutject-Eastern Farmers Competing
With the West
DR.. Parker. In this age of cheap
rates and rapid transit, the farmer
of the Eastern States comes in
direct competition with the fresh,
rich lands of the great West. The
average of the fertile lands put in
wheat and corn is increasing every
year Thousands of new farms are
opened annually. Millions upon
millions of bushels Of grain are ship
ped east every year from this great
granary Of the world. Out there
on the rich prairie levels one man
with team can cultivate IS acres
in corn and make from 30 to 60
bushels to the acre That many
acres cannot be managed here by
one man, on our rough, uneven lands,
neither will our soil produce any
thing like as much as that out west,
unaided by manure. But admit
ting all this, shall We give up rails
ing our own wheat, corn and meat :?
Never, sir; no, never! The western
farmer in many respects has the ad-
vantage Of us in grain production
and stock feeding. but taking into
consideration every thing, our chanc-
es for successful farming are about
sss good, as his. There they have to
contend withstaasg and severe win
ters, and deep SHOWS. stol,Ijn all out
door farm work for several months.
They have. welcomes, billiards.. grass
hoppers, the Colorado potato beetle.
hog cholera, pleuro-pncumonil, and
many times the most blighting
drouths necessitating the driving of
stock long distances to water, besides
numerous other ills with which we
do not have to contend, and if we
do it is in a milder form here in our
more agreeable climate. We have
immense territories of forest, plenty
of timber, with no scarcity of fuel
and building material, and water
the sun does not shine on a land
more blest in this respect than this
middle section Of North Carolina
Such springs of cool and never fail
ing water! The rivers and other
streams atfording power enough to
turn every spindle of all the mills.
But you say our lands are poor! Yes,
and the lands west will be as poor
as ours when the present generation
move ON still further west and in
like manner skin and despoil those
rich fields. 1t is our business to
follow in their wake to repair the
damage done, 1t is a big job, but it
must be done or the world will wake
up some morning with nothing to
cook for breakfast. This despola-
ton and robbery has been going on
ever since man quit eating wild
fruits and lizards and undertook
making living for himself: From
the Euphrates in the East to Bette
McGee's creek in the West this wick
ed havoc has preyed upon the worlds
beauty and fruitfulnes.
We must permantly improve our
lands if we would ever hope to have
SOou crops ana increased prOnCS.
We must put in our work more
skill, push and economy. This old
lubberIy, cold-headed, wasteful way
OF doing things must give place to
better methods and better work
Calculate, plan and look ahead now,
ana thereby save time in the busy
season. Be ready to make hay
while the sun Shines You see we
VIII have to make only about one
thlrd as many bushels of corn to
nave as much money value as the
western farmer-he gets Is to 25cts
per oushel, while we can realize right
mere from 90 cents to 81. with no
Irelghts or commissions to pay and
no delay for returns AS a general
rule our wheat is better, and | know
that our corn is great deal better
than the western raised. Our pork
ana bacon is vastly more palatable
ana more wholesome, and we can
make it as cheap as they do, if we
would try. The fault is in us, not
IN the climate or in the hog. In the
west they suffer severe losses from